Buoyant simulation



Nov. 6, 1962 H. GORHAM BUOYANT SIMULATION Filed May 11, 1959 INVENTOR HAROLD L. GORHAM ATTORNEY United States Patent Q 3,061,847 BUOYANT SIMULATION Harold L. Gotham, 3236 165th St., Hammond, Ind. Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,223 3 Claims. (Cl. 9-313) This invention is a life-preserver which simulates an underwater breathing apparatus. The device is an effective water-safety appliance which overcomes serious psychological obstacles to the use of ordinary life-preservers. The pleasure of children who have not learned to swim, and the peace of mind of their parents are seriously retarded at the sea-shore and other swimming places by concern for the safety of the children in deep water or in rolling surf, and although safety dictates the childrens use of a life-preserver, factors of self-consciousness or prestige too often lead the child not to accept a life-preserver as a necessary element of swimming garb, or else lead the child to discard the preserver at the earliest opportunity.

The device of this invention overcomes these psychological blocks to safety by providing a life-preserver in a form which will appear to the child as an adult status-symbol, adding to the prestige of the wearer and making its use desirable to the child.

The device will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which FIGURE 1 represents a plan view of the device; and

FIGURE 2 represents a side view of the device.

In the drawings, 10 represents a buoyant member having the configuration of a skin-divers oxygen tank, or tanks that is, a portable metal vessel designed to hold a pressurized gas. In a preferred embodiment of the invention this buoyant object is a generally cylindrical member made of any material or composite of materials to give the overall object a specific gravity of less than 1. The psychological stratagem behind this device is best furthered by fabricating the cylindrical member 10 from a light rigid shell such as aluminum or a synthetic resin, such as a polystyrene or polyvinyl resin which may be colored gun-metal, dark green, or any other color which may be in vogue as the color of the oxgen tanks of real skindiving equipment. The shell is preferably filled with a buoyant material which may be kapok, but which preferably is a foamed synthetic resin such as a polystyrene or polyurethane which may be foamed in situ, in order that if the member 10 leaks water it will still retain the wearer at the surface of the water. Fabric, or an airtight inflatable material may also be used.

The buoyant member is mounted upon a rigid back plate 12, has its long dimension generally normal to the long dimension of the buoyant member 10 and which again may be made of aluminum or other light metal or a synthetic resin. The back-plate 12 is provided on each side of its upper ends with straps 14, designed to fit over ice the shoulders of the wearer and with straps 16, which fit under the armpits of the wearer. Straps 14 are provided with fasteners 18, which are coupleably with members 20 attached to straps 16. Alternatively, the straps 16 and/ or the coupling members 20 may be attached directly to a lower portion of the buoy 10.

The simulation is continued by the mock gauge 22, and flexible hose-like members 24 and 26 which are attached to the gauge 22. These members lead to a mouthpiece 28 and are adapted to fit around the neck of the wearer. The gauge 22. may be merely a clockshaped solid or hollow member bearing a face 30 with a stationary indicator 32 and the mouthpiece may likewise be without openings to the mouth of the wearer. The mouthpiece may be perforated to permit the wearer to breathe more easily with the mouthpiece in place. Alternatively, the device may be made more realistic by providing openings in the mouthpiece for air to travel from the gauge, through the hose-like members and the mouthpiece to the mouth of the wearer.

The entire device is, of course, fashioned to look as nearly as possible like skin-divers equipment with which the child may be familiar and can be made in any size convenient for the child to wear comfortably on his back.

I claim:

1. A life-preserver comprising a generally cylindrical buoyant member, said buoyant member being mounted on a back plate, said back plate having means for being fastened to a human body, said buoyant member being provided with a simulated gauge, said gauge being attached to hose-like members adapted to fit around the neck of the wearer, said hose-like members being connected to a simulated breathing mouthpiece.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the buoyant member is a light rigid shell filled with foamed synthetic resin.

3. A life preserver comprising a generally cylindrical buoyant member, said buoyant member mounted on a rigid rectangular back plate arranged with its long dimension generally normal to the long dimension of the buoyant member and having means at each corner for being fastened to a human body, said buoyant member being provided with a simulated gauge, said gauge being attached to hose-like members adapted to fit around the neck of the wearer, said hose-like members being connected to a simulated breathing mouthpiece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,684,341 Anspon July 20, 1954 2,818,858 Holm July 7, 1958 2,871,854 Lambertson Feb. 3, 1959 2,931,057 Vilarem Apr. 5, 1960 2,935,751 Emmick May 10, 1960 2,939,457 Fay June 7, 1960 

